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Update for Saturday, May 4, 2024

Overnight there were a few feeding sessions. The earlier one occurred at 12:18 AM. Ares pre-plucked that meal on his pillar perch above the nest box. Helpfully, he hopped inside the box to hand the food to Astrid which is an improvement over making her scramble across the crossperch to get it which always seems too precarious. Although we confirmed no intruders today. Ares seemed particularly intent on guarding the nest. He spent most of the day on the verandas or on his pillar perch keeping watch. Much to his pleasure, Astrid allowed him to brood the clutch today and even allowed him to handle a brief feeding session. Actually, the feeding consisted of him merely tearing off ridiculously small pieces off some scrap of food and giving it to the one chick that consented to open its bill and receive it.  At one point, when Astrid came back to brood the nestlings in the afternoon, she neglected to pull the remaining egg underneath her. Considering that it was warm outside and the egg, if it is still viable, would contain a pre hatchling well enough developed to handle the ambient temperature. Regardless, after about 10 minutes she noticed it was uncovered and pulled it beneath her. Will that egg hatch? There may or may not be a pip in it. It’s very difficult to tell. We think it’s the fourth egg laid which would mean it still has some time to hatch if it is indeed viable.

Update for Friday, May 3, 2024

The third hatch occurred at about 10:55 AM on Friday morning – or at least that’s when the new chick was first seen. It was still pink and wet, so it had to be a recent hatch. Astrid stayed tight on the clutch until finally getting up at about 12:30 PM. By that time the hatchling had dried off and looked as fluffy white as its siblings. Ares came in to babysit a minute after Astrid left and he got his chance to view the new member of the family for the first time. Astrid soon came back in with food. Ares left and she conducted a feeding. The new chick was still too weak to partake, but the other two vied well. The hatchling toppled over at one point during the feeding which is typical

Update for Thursday, May 2, 2024

Today, Astrid oversaw numerous feeding sessions with the two hatchlings. However, uncertainty still lingers regarding whether a third egg will hatch. Our current understanding suggests that the hatched eggs were numbers 2 and 3 in the laying sequence, implying that the first-laid egg, number 1, may be infertile. If the potentially pipped egg is indeed the fourth laid, there remains a chance of it being fertile, with several days remaining in its hatch window. At dawn, Ares brought a Black-billed Cuckoo to the nest. True to her nature, Astrid showed no interest in the offering, as she has never favored cuckoos. As a matter of fact they rank among her top three least favorite prey items, alongside Woodcocks and Bats. The presence of the cuckoo was surprising, considering they usually arrive later in May. Later in the afternoon, during a feeding session, Ares provided shade for the chicks and eggs while Astrid conducted a feeding. This showcased an excellent demonstration of cooperative chick rearing.

Update for Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Just before 6:30 AM we could see that there was definitely a hole in a second egg. Sure enough. At 9:08 AM Astrid pulled a broken eggshell from underneath her. Twenty minutes later we saw the new hatchling for the first time but only a second as she promptly tucked it beneath her. It was still pink and wet. Ten minutes later it had dried out and fluffed up and was as pure white as the first chick. In the early afternoon, Astrid brought in some leftovers and conducted a feeding. The new nestling was seen to eat a small amount before toppling over. Ares got a few chances to babysit the chicks. As usual, before brooding them, he spent some time looking at them like they were from another planet. He understands eggs a lot better than he understands squirming babies. During one of the switches, we discerned what we believed to be holes in one of the other eggs. This has not been confirmed yet, but we believe we may have another pipped egg.

Update for Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Today, the first hatch of the season occurred between 12:38 and 12:45 PM, unveiling a freshly hatched, damp, rosy chick at precisely 12:45 PM. Astrid shielded the hatchling from view by promptly tucking it beneath her. Subsequently, she retrieved the fractured eggshell from beneath her and intermittently nibbled on it throughout the afternoon. Around 2:50 PM, Ares arrived at the nest and insisted on having a turn with the clutch. Witnessing the hatchling for the first time, he looked a bit confounded. He then took on the role of babysitter briefly. Later in the day, he brought in food, which Astrid duly accepted. After having a share she proceeded to conduct the first feeding of the chick. Despite its unsteady footing, the hatchling persevered and between tumbles, managing to partake in a few bites. Notably, there appears to be a potential pip on one of the remaining three eggs, although confirmation is pending.